BACKGROUND Expansins are proteins that loosen plant cell walls in a pH-dependent manner, probably by increasing the relative movement among polymers thus causing irreversible expansion. The expansin superfamily (EXP) comprises four distinct families: expansin A (EXPA), expansin B (EXPB), expansin-like A (EXLA) and expansin-like B (EXLB). There is experimental evidence that EXPA and EXPB protein...

The European grapevine moth Lobesia botrana relies on a female produced sex pheromone for long-distance mate finding. Grapevine moth males compete heavily during limited time windows for females. The aim of this study was to investigate the perception of host plant volatiles by grapevine moth males and whether such compounds elicit upwind oriented flights. We compared five host plant headspace ...

Subtilisin-like proteases, also known as subtilases, are a very diverse family of serine peptidases present in many organisms. In grapevine, there are hints of the involvement of subtilases in defense mechanisms, but their role is not yet understood. The first characterization of the subtilase gene family was performed in 2014. However, simultaneously, the grapevine genome was re-annotated and ...

BACKGROUND The grapevine is a widely cultivated crop and a high number of different varieties have been selected since its domestication in the Neolithic period. Although sexual crossing has been a major driver of grapevine evolution, its vegetative propagation enhanced the impact of somatic mutations and has been important for grapevine diversity. Transposable elements are known to be major co...

Grapevine yellow speckle viroid 1 (GYSVd1), which is a member of the genus Apscaviroid, causes yellow speckle disease in grapevines. Here, we report the complete de novo genome assembly of GYSVd1 from the grapevine transcriptome and identified 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms of GYSVd1 across the grapevine populations.

A novel virus-like sequence from grapevine was identified by Illumina sequencing. The complete genome is 7,551 nucleotides in length, with polyadenylation at the 3' end. Translation of the sequence revealed five open reading frames (ORFs). The genomic organization was most similar to those of vitiviruses. The polymerase (ORF1) and coat protein (ORF4) genes shared 31 to 49% nucleotide and 40 to ...

MIKC(C)-type MADS box genes encode transcription factors that play crucial roles in plant growth and development. Analysis of the grapevine (Vitis vinifera) genome revealed up to 38 MIKC(C)-type genes. We report here a complete analysis of this gene family regarding their phylogenetic relationships with homologous genes identified in other sequenced dicot genomes, their genome location, and gen...

Plasmopara viticola, the causal agent of grapevine downy mildew, is one of the most devastating grape pathogen in Europe and North America. Although phytochemicals are used to control pathogen infections, the appearance of resistant strains and the concern for possible adverse effects on environment and human health are increasing the search for alternative strategies. In the present investigat...